Friday, 20 December 2013

Have
you finally owned up to the realisation that you need new carpeting in your office?Well done, that’s the first step.Now, it’s time to look for some
inspiration.After all, if it has taken you
this long to commit, you’ll want to make a lasting choice.

Of
course, office tile carpeting has come a long way since you were last on the market.Not only has its construction and installation
become more advanced, designs too have developed.But if you want something really funky, you
may need to take control of the design.Your carpeting sales consultant can certainly help you along the way,
but you’ll want to infuse your own office culture into the layout.

Stuck
for ideas?Why not consider one of
these?

Two Colour Check – Sure it’s
a classic, but these large squares serve to open up the space.From playful to dramatic, you can make these tiles
say what you want, depending on your colour scheme.Steering away from black and white updates
the pattern, while still remaining flexible enough to go with just about any seating
– and wall colour.

Broken Checks – This hardly
makes the same impact in the picture as it will do covering your entire office floor.This broken check pattern creates a diamond
and wave pattern that is hardly dull.Whether
you go with a brown and contrasting pattern, as shown here, or you stick to two
solid colours, the effect is the same – dramatic and compelling.

Disintegration – The aerial
view of this pattern says it all.Carpeting squares can start in a triangle pattern as shown, or perhaps
from a multicoloured check board.Either
way, as you move into a corner, progressively smaller triangles are cut to add deeper
layers to the pattern.Consider starting
with your larger pieces in the centre of your office and allowing the pieces to
fragment as you move to the outer
edges.No matter how you go, it’s sure
to delight your employees – and visiting clients.

Two Colour Muted
Contrast –
Just because you have two colours to work with, it doesn’t mean your carpeting
needs to be boring.Spice it up by breaking
from the traditional checkerboard style.Use longer contrasting lines, as shown here.The wide space makes it easy to use such large
pieces of colour, but you can always shortened it according to the size of your
office.The muted colours work well
together here, which helps if you’re not ready for daring.

Multi Coloured Squares
–
Whether you are covering an open office, or you just want to accent your
reception area, carpet squares make it easy to play with dashes of colour.Use as many, or as few, colours as you prefer,
but keep in mind that anything too vibrant matched with anything too pale may
make for dizzy eyes.Even better is that
you won’t notice the unadorned black reception couch if you use this play on
carpeting colours.

As You Like It – This
type of pattern breaks up the traditional flavour of the Multi Coloured Square theme
above, but relies on the same basic concept.It incorporates more than one colour, including a few accent shades.But, unlike other patterns, you can play with
this one in whatever way you please.As you
can see, patterns like this do not require heavy, cluttered furniture, which
means you can keep the rest of your office as minimal as you like.

A Few Special Pieces – You may
not be able to afford contract carpet tiles throughout your office, but you can play
with pattern by adding in a few notable pieces here and there.Have fun playing with stripes and even just
the varying grain directions.When trying
to create a textural effect, try to keep a neutral palate; otherwise, the nuances
of the grain will be lost on viewers.

Break Area Accent – By
playing with colour in certain areas, such as underneath the lunch table can
draw attention to the space.If you are
carpeting your entire office, you can achieve similar patches of colour by breaking
an overall neutral colour with pattern plays where you need it most.You can carry this idea throughout your
office, by breaking out into a bit of a colour song whenever you feel like it.

Just a Splotch – Nothing says
you can’t just have a neutral coloured office carpet broken by just a few
splotches of colour in random places.In
fact, as this picture shows, there is nothing boring about it at all.Play with your company colours for accents,
or consider working with a brighter colour that you break with neutral accent
squares.

Shades and Sizes – This pattern
also works with soft accent colours, albeit not in a full square pattern.This pattern can go any way you want it to, but
sticking to one repeat that you occasionally break or change will add a great
deal of depth to otherwise neutral colours.One of the nice things about this design is the classic parquet feel
that comes through in the grain of the carpet squares.

Diagonal Accent – This carpeting
pattern follows a similar theme to Shades and Sizes above, but it works diagonally
across the room.This serves to lengthen
the space visually, which can be tremendously valuable in small offices.The accents stand out, and guide the eye towards
the far wall, or whatever you put in front of it.

Parallels – This pattern
requires a little more work to install in small spaces, but if your office is large
enough, you can use the same idea by grouping a few same coloured squares
together.The example is shown with many
different colours, but in a larger space, you may want to limit it slightly.And, if not, make sure you are working with
an otherwise sterile white space, or your office may become too busy.

Confusion – Alright,
say you do decide to stick to a neutral colour and run the grain in the same direction
throughout your office.That doesn’t
mean you can’t have a little fun with your floors.Why not consider just a few quirks like this
one to show your playful side?

It has been said, that many accidents happen in the home, but we spend more than 8 hours a day in the work place, and it seems only logical, that the office environment be a safe place.

There are many accidents in the work place every year. The most frequent types of work place injury are due to falls, tripping and strains from over-extending and over-exertion. In addition, there are many accidents that occur in the workplace that are due to electrical or plumbing faults.Compared to factories and outside work, offices are a contained environment that can usually be controlled and accidents can be minimized. With just a bit of care, many office falls and slips can be avoided. We have listed a few tips to make an office a safer environment for workers and visitors.

1. Close drawers completely when not in use.2. While seated, avoid twisting and leaning backwards.3. Secure electrical wires that are in walkways.4. Clean up spills right away.5. Wear shoes that have non-slip soles6. Use proper step stools to reach high places.7. Add carpeting where possible.

If you find yourself falling, try to scrunch your body within yourself, and roll rather than reaching arms outward (which may be instinctive). This position will help your body absorb the impact better, and help you avoid a potentially bad injury.

Electrical hazards within the workplace can happen often, if wiring is faulty, installed incorrectly, or not maintained properly. Below, we have listed some precautions to take, to minimize electrical accidents in the workplace.

1. Avoid using extension cords.2. Use only office equipment that has been tested, and approved by reputable laboratories.3. Never handle wires or electrical equipment when your hands are wet.4. Unplug, by holding the plug, not yanking the cord.5. Make sure that all office equipment is “grounded” properly and well insulated.6. Do not cover power cords with rugs, mats or carpeting.7. Shutdown and disconnect equipment from the power source before repairs or maintenance services are conducted. It’s also wise to shut down any equipment that doesn’t need to be left on, when the office is vacated at night as this will reduce the risk of fire.

Photocopy machines are a standard piece of equipment in most offices, but when an office is not well-ventilated, it can be a hazardous source of air pollution, causing employees to become ill. Besides placing this type of machine in a well-ventilated area, away from employees, some other precautions will include:

1. Prevent chemical emissions, by having the copy machine routinely serviced.2. Dispose of toner waste properly and immediately.3. Keep the document cover of the machine closed.4. Use gloves while changing toner, and avoid touching other photocopying chemicals with bare hands.

When individuals go to work, they rarely think about safety issues, but by developing good habits, it is easy to have a safe office environment. Such as, do not overstock shelves, have a step stool handy, keep restrooms clean and stocked, with plenty of towels and antibacterial soap, and encourage at least one employee, to be trained in CPR and first aid.

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About Birch Carpets

Birch Carpets are a leading producer of an extensive range of carpets, including contract carpets, commercial carpets, carpet tiles and accessories. We supply a range of clients including those in the private, public and healthcare sectors.

Our mission is to provide our clients with the Red Carpet Treatment every time!